YREKA – According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 18.4 percent of Siskiyou County residents were living below the poverty level from 2007-2011.

For local social service representatives and educators who see the culture of poverty every day, they are seeking resources to learn how to better serve this population.

These educators and human service workers gathered at the Miners Inn Convention Center on Tuesday to hear a presentation from renowned lecturer Kathy Estes of Coordinated Health Programs for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools.

Estes travels throughout the state, making presentations about methods to build relationships with families affected by poverty and strategies to help their children overcome learning and life obstacles.

During her presentation, Estes described many of her personal experiences of living in poverty as a child in order to illustrate the theories regarding the poverty culture’s common financial decisions, relationships and positions on the value of education.

Estes explained the difference between generational poverty and situational poverty. While there are always exceptions, she said many of those experiencing situational poverty often look to furthering their education as a solution to their problems; the generational poverty culture often does not.

“Our definition of success does not have to be our client’s definition of success,” said Estes. She explained that it is important to not lay middle class ideologies on those who live in poverty.

Common financial decisions of those living in poverty were another topic of discussion. Estes said it is very common for social service workers from middle class backgrounds to cringe when these families make certain financial decisions. She used the example of a family choosing to spend money on a weekend getaway rather than conserve funds to ensure basic needs are met.

She said it is important to have compassion for the fact that families of poverty want their children to experience the same joys that middle class children experience.

“I don’t think people realize how prevalent generational poverty is,” said attendee Nadia McElyea, who works for the Karuk Tribe. “The language of poverty compared to the middle class is different. It is important to understand that language.”

The workshop was made possible by the contributions from College of the Siskiyous Foster Kinship Program, Community Health Plan of the Siskiyous, First 5 Siskiyou Children & Families Commission, Siskiyou County Public Health, Remi Vista, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Siskiyou County, Sierra Cascade Nutrition & Activities Consortium, Shasta Head Start, Community Services Council, Karuk Tribe, Karuk Tribe Tanf Program, Siskiyou Early Head Start, Siskiyou County Human Services, Children First Foster Family Agency and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Arden Carr.